OLIVIER’S TWIST: Olivier Theyskens is to unveil the first chapter of his new Antwerp-based fashion project Boloria on July 5, the eve of Paris Couture Week, scheduled for July 6 to 9 in the French capital.
The upstart fashion house, announced last November, is backed by We Are One World, the Belgian parent of the Tomorrowland electronic music festivals.
Theyskens, who has designed for such brands as Rochas, Nina Ricci and Theory, has been teasing its visual identity with black-and-white photos that suggest a tailored direction with touches of deconstruction.
Willy Vanderperre, a frequent collaborator of many Belgian designers, is credited for the imagery, which Boloria says “invite interpretation.”
A teaser image for Boloria.
Courtesy of Boloria
Boloria is to convey “distinctly Belgian values — sensitivity, integrity, emotional resonance — that have always inspired Theyskens’ work and approach to fashion,” according to its mission statement.
The fashion line is described as “the initial step in an ongoing partnership in multifaceted creative endeavors.”
Tomorrowland has been at the forefront of constructing a lifestyle brand around its music festivals via merchandise that spans fashion, accessories, fragrances and furniture, along with collaborations with the likes of Sarda for lingerie, Serax for tableware, Baobab for scented candles and Suspicious for fleece fashions.
Born in Brussels, Theyskens catapulted to fame at 21 years old when Madonna wore his black satin hook-and-eye gown to the Oscars in 1998. He put his signature brand on hiatus when he joined Rochas in 2003, going on to lead Nina Ricci in Paris and Theory in New York.
In recent years he resumed designing under his own label, and collaborated with French pop star Mylène Farmer on her 2024 “Nevermore” tour.
A teaser image for Boloria.
Courtesy of Boloria
